THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 26 - 29 ISSUE NO. 1869
29 April - 5 May 2021
Hooked up THE National Police revealed recently that during their operations to combat marihuanagrowing clans and groups, they also encounter more than 200 illegal electricity hook-ups each month. Defrauded energy companies are not the only victims, police pointed out, as the improvised power connections can cause countless power cuts and even fires.
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Mild tremor SPAIN’S National Geographic Institute registered a 2.5-magnitude earthquake with an epicentre located two kilometres below Seron where it was noticeable but caused no material damage. Residents in both Alcontar’s Hijate neighbourhood and Tijola later reported that they had also felt the tremor that occurred at 11.30pm on Thursday, April 22.
TRIPLE DONATION: Jake and Taylor with the cash for the Red Cross, Coastal Cleaners and PAWS-PATAS.
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Fish suppers during lockdown ONLINE sales for Almeria’s harbourside fish market have shot up since the onset of the Covid pandemic. Jose Maria Gallart, manager of Almeria’s Association of Producers of Fishing Commodities, Asopesca, recently told the provincial media that the internet sales, introduced some years back, have improved “a lot” over the last 12 months. The volume of fish and shellfish sold via the Del Barco a la Mesa (From ship to table) initiative has tripled, not only in Almeria, but in other coastal areas. The scheme’s sales had grown relatively slowly but took off during lockdown, Gallart said. This went a long way towards compensating plummeting sales to the hotels, restaurants and bars that were closed dur‐ ing the first lockdown and intermittently since then, he added. “Almerienses had to stay indoors, but many of them were not prepared to forgo their locally‐caught fish and shellfish,” he explained. Family sales saw the biggest increase during this time, he said: “People might not have been able to go out to eat but they could still spend time cooking great meals based on the best quality Almeria fish.” Although sales are now growing more slowly, the upward tendency has continued, the Asopesca manager revealed.
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Gift baskets for new arrivals All aboard the Nao Victoria Credit Card cloning HUERCAL‐OVERA’S newborn babies can expect to receive a gift basket from the town hall. Families’ councillor Dolores Fernandez revealed that each baby will receive a lined wicker basket that contains a towel, blanket, sponge, gel and a cuddly toy. Fernandez thanked members of the local Asociacion La Filgrana who have “done so much work and with such pleasure” to produce some of the presents in the bas‐ ket which is worth €50 in all. The councillor herself will present the baskets in person to all families that have a new addition at the end of each month, the town hall announced.
A FULL‐SIZE replica of the Nao Vic‐ toria (the good ship Victoria,) re‐ cently visited Adra port. The Nao Victoria was the first ship to successfully circumnavi‐ gate the world, part of a Spanish expedition between 1519 and 1522 that was commanded by Ferdinand Magellan and, after his
death during the voyage, by Juan Sebastián Elcano. There was a €5 charge for adults and €3 for children to ex‐ plore the ship’s three decks on a self‐guided tour where informa‐ tion panels explained the historic and social context of the world’s greatest maritime feat.
Day centre pledge VERA Town Hall is currently examining lo‐ cations for a day centre for the municipali‐ ty’s senior citizens. This was at the centre of discussions be‐ tween Vera’s mayor Jose Carmelo Jorge Blanco and Rafael Pasamontes, the Junta’s Equality, Social Policies and Conciliation delegate to Almeria. “The regional government is working hard to make this a reality, dealing with the deadlines and formalities that are re‐ quired for such an important project,” the delegate assured the Vera authorities.
gang arrested
NATIONAL POLICE officers in Almeria arrested five young people suspected of belonging to an organised group, usurpation of civil status, and credit card fraud. After checking numerous complaints from in‐ dividuals from various police districts through‐ out Spain, a police investigation revealed a string of clever fraud crimes, most of them minor. Investigators soon found that an organised group fraudulently obtained the data of third‐ party debit card. Most of the purchases were made from mobile phones purchased at the MediaMarkt store, and all were low‐value pur‐ chases below €100, which did not arouse suspi‐ cion. The defendants also made orders from home food delivery companies, and made bookings via tourist reservation websites to stay in hotels in Almeria Province. To date, the National Police have located and spoken with 63 victims of this organised group, who received 1,017 fraudulently‐bought pack‐ ages, valued at €17,147.20.
Casa del Mar Health Centre reopens JUANMA MORENO, the president of the Junta de Andalucia, on Friday April 23, inaugurated the Casa del Mar Health Centre in Pescadería‐La Chan‐ ca, Almeria. The centre has been completely renovated at a cost of €2.6 million, after being closed for the last 15 years. The new facility has 12 medical and nursing consultation rooms, a multipurpose consultation room, two rooms for paediatric consultation, mi‐ nor surgery rooms, a health education room, and different areas for extractions and treatments. During the opening ceremony, Moreno again pointed out the determination of the current government of Andalucia to aid the health sector which has been so badly affected by the pan‐ demic, revealing that the budget has been in‐ creased by 18 per cent this year, equating to an
Credit: Junta de Andalucia
JUANMA MORENO: The regional president outside the Casa del Mar health centre.
extra €1,800 million, adding that there are now a record number of 118,000 health professionals in Andalucia. “An economic and management effort un‐ precedented in the history of Andalucia that will result in the quality and improvement of public health services,” he added. He also assured that another €300 million has been allocated for the maintenance of health centres in the province, revealing that work could soon start on the Roquetas de Mar Hospital.
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High-flyer PILAR MARTINEZ-COSENTINO ALFONSO was named one of Spain’s 100 Leading Women by Mujeres&Cia, a Spanish platform that represents professional women and executives. Mujeres&Cia also ranked Martinez-Cosentino, who is the deputy vice-president of the Cantoria-based multinational marble company Cosentino, amongst Spain’s highest-rated 10 businesswomen.
London job POPULAR disc jockey from Garrucha, Kamal Mkasry who is better known as Moree Mk, embarked on a new stage in his career after moving to the UK last December. As soon as restrictions are finally lifted there, he will be resident DJ at a London club, he revealed.
Helping hand THE Almeria branch of Andalucia’s Institute for Women (IAM) attended to 12,686 enquiries last year, 940 more than in 2019. A quarter of the women who were seeking advice needed help for issues that were related to gender violence, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year.
Road safety THE El Cañarete road, closed since last September, will open to traffic in June, the central government’s sub-delegate to Almeria announced. He realised that ‘thousands’ were anxious to use the road, Manuel de la Fuente said, but stressed that safety had to take second place to convenience.
Water war REDUCING by almost half the amount of water that reaches Almeria from the River Tajo has been blamed on politics. The president of the Junta Central de Usuarios del Almanzora irrigation syndicate complained that the reasons cited by the Environment Ministry “were political, not technical, financial or social.”
A top investor Diputacion de Andalucia
GOOD fortune smiled again on Almeria City with a first prize of €600,000 for every 10-coupon ticket in last Saturday’s National Lottery draw. The winning number 26,541 from the lottery agency in Calle La Pilarica, was also sold in Jaen, Las Palmas, Madrid, Leon, Orense and Valencia.
ALMERIA’S provincial council spent more on public works than any other Diputacion in Andalucia for the second year running. The annual report from the Andalucia Circle of Construction, Consultancy and Public Works Companies (CEACOP) revealed that in 2020 the Diputacion spent almost €25 million on improving, maintaining or constructing infrastructure. The CEACOP document also drew attention to the fact that €21.4 million - 86.6 per cent - of the last year’s contracts went to Andalucia firms.
29 April - 5 May 2021
ALMERIA DIPUTACION: Spend more on Public Works projects than any other provincial council in Andalucia. Oscar Liria, the councillor who heads the Diputacion’s Public Works department, pointed out that practically all of this work was carried out during
THE Costa de Almeria brand was intro‐ duced recently to Polish travel agents. The virtual three‐day trade fair, Meet Hiszpania, included workshops, webinars, networking sessions and other activities. It was organised by Turespaña, the official body that promotes Spanish holiday desti‐ nations worldwide, and Spain’s Tourism Office (OET) in Warsaw. According to statistics from Spain’s Na‐ tional Statistics Office (INE), 165,000 Polish tourists visited Andalucia in 2018 and
Bombs away COINCIDING with Earth Day, Pulpi’s Mar Rabiosa is to be seed‐ bombed this Sunday, May 1. The initiative, which has the blessing of Pulpi Town Hall, is be‐ ing carried out by the Isla de Ter‐ reros Tourism Association and environmentalists Ecologistas en Accion Almanzora‐Levante. Seedballs are a combination of compost and clay that act as a carrier for the seeds that can be launched over walls or fences and into inaccessible areas like wasteland. The excursion will include a seed‐bombing and reforestation workshop from 10am until 2pm with all health and safety mea‐ sures in place at all times. To participate it is necessary to register beforehand on the al manzora.levante@ecologistase naccion.org website. NON‐NATIVE seaweed first spotted in Ceuta three years ago, is now approaching the Almeria coast. Rugulopteryx okamurae, known as Alga Negra in Span‐ ish, is officially classed as an invasive species and has al‐ ready reached sections of the Cadiz and Malaga coasts.
the pandemic although construction was halted for months. “We managed to maintain the level of tenders and contracts despite all the difficulties
produced by the pandemic,” Liria said. “We also spent almost another €20 million in contracts linked to projects that CEACOP did not include in its report,” he added. “All of this corresponds to the Diputacion’s mission of adopting the role of a town hall for all the province’s town halls in order to provide municipalities with more - and better - public services that improve quality of life for Almeria residents,” Liria said. “Investing in public works is one of our greatest weapons in linking areas and creating equal opportunities.”
Virtually in Poland spend 600,000 nights in the region, a 4.4 per cent rise on the previous year. Pre‐Covid, Polish tourism was steadily increasing in Almeria Province, with sever‐ al weekly flights to Gdansk, Katowice and Warsaw during the summer months. “With events like these we can put na‐ tional and international focus on Almeria,” said Fernando Gimenez who heads the
provincial council’s Tourism department. “Once circumstances permit, Almeria will be present in the Polish tourism mar‐ ket.” As well as Costa de Almeria, two of the province’s hotel complexes took part in Meet Hiszpania, as well as the Almeria Spanish School which offers Spanish cours‐ es for foreigners.
Turtles can drown A ROQUETAS resident alerted the Emergency Ser‐ vices after spotting a beached, dead turtle on the Los Cerrillos shore. Following set procedures, the Guardia Civil and members of the wildlife rescue organisation Equinac went to the beach to examine the logger‐ head. The large male turtle, whose shell measured 80 centimetres across, was neither microchipped nor
tagged, the Equinac and Guardia Civil experts found. They concluded that it had drowned, as one of its front flippers was entangled in a section of fishing net which had prevented it both from swimming and eating normally. A subsequent post‐mortem found sand and a chocolate wrapper in the turtle’s digestive tract, confirming that the fishing net as the principal cause of its death by drowning.
Honourable mention EACH year as all eyes turn to the Oscars, Almeria Province relives its own Hollywood roles. It has been the setting for seven Oscar‐winning films, be‐ ginning with Lawrence of Ara‐ bia (1962) followed by Cleopa‐ tra (1963), Patton (1970), Travels with My Aunt (1972) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Nijar’s Monsul beach was
chosen for location scenes in Almodovar’s Hable con Ella (Talk to Her) in 2002 and in 2017 the El Ejido and Campo‐ hermoso polytunnels appeared in the opening shots of Bladerunner 2049. Almeria also featured in Once Upon a Time in Holly‐ wood, which won two Oscars in 2019 although this was more of an ‘honourable mention’ as
Unwanted visitor Once it colonises the seabed, fishing boats can haul in their nets only to find them full of the seaweed, the Almeria fishing fleet warned. Its presence also af‐ fects the marine ecosystem,
threatening both fish and shellfish. Its effect on tourism is no less worrying if thousands of tons of Alga Negra are al‐ lowed to accumulate on beaches.
it was named as the setting for location shots in Red Blood, Red Skin, a fictional spaghetti western that was actually a film‐within‐a‐film.
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Giving them a chance ROQUETAS Town Hall will make its sports, cultural and leisure facilities available to children in care. Gabriel Amat recently for‐ malised the agreement with Rafael Pasamontes, the Jun‐ ta’s delegate to Almeria for Equality, Social Policies and Conciliation. “I want to thank Rafa for being here today and for counting on the town hall to collaborate on this project to assist children in care,” Amat said. “We are going to make our help available to young people who, for whatever reason, are in this situation,” the mayor continued. “We are going to continue working along these lines, as this administration has al‐ ways done.” The agreement is aimed at assisting the development of children and young peo‐ ple in care while helping to prevent and eradicate the disadvantaged circum‐ stances and risk of social ex‐ clusion they often experi‐ ence inside the protection system. The agreement applies equally to children in emer‐ gency and temporary foster care and those in residential centres as well as over‐18s who were formerly in care and now live in housing pro‐ vided by the Junta. “Our object is to provide them with an incentive and a happier childhood,” Pasa‐ montes said. “We want them to be able to get on in life and have opportunities.”
Half-marathon HUERCAL‐OVERA hosts the first edition of the Villa de Huercal‐ Overa Mountain Bike Half‐Marathon on Sunday, May 9. Organised by the Andalucia Cycling Federation (FAC) and SDominguez Producciones, the event will be held between the Recinto Ferial fairground and the Ramblas from 9.30 on‐ wards. The 47‐kilometre circuit includes a 923‐metre ascent and numbers are limited to 350. There are categories for all ages and abilities, and participants can now register on the https://sdominguezproducciones.com/proximos‐eventos website. “Our municipality has a great number of cycling fans and they are really keen to get up on a mountain bike again and take part,” Huercal‐Overa’s mayor Domingo Fernandez said.
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Police And Endesa
DURING the first quarter of 2021, the National Police of Almeria and El Ejido, in a joint effort involving the electrici‐ ty provider, Endesa, has uncovered al‐ most 700 illegal and fraudulent elec‐ tricity connections in properties in the region. It is known by these two entities that the cultivation and manufacturing of marihuana indoors needs light, tem‐ perature and humidity conditions for their proliferation that can only be achieved artificially, and the criminals involved in this activity are usually found to be connecting illegally to ex‐ isting electricity lines in order to get a free supply to power the large amount of heating and lighting needed. Properties with illegal connections can overload the supply lines by pulling too much power from the grid, and in some cases, it can prove very dangerous, with some properties
known to have had fires as the result of an overload. Between January and March 2021, officers from the Almeria National Po‐ lice conducted 40 house searches, con‐ centrated mainly in the neighbour‐ hoods of Pescadería, Quemadero, Almendros, Puche, or Torrecárdenas, while officers from El Ejido carried out six searches, mostly in Pampanico, Las Norias, or the Llanos de Vícar. A total of 95 officers took part in the anti‐fraud operations, accompanied by technicians from Endesa, with 685 ille‐ gal connections being found, and all searches are the result of a preliminary extensive investigation by the police. Every search is accompanied by a ju‐ dicial order issued by the Administra‐ tion of Justice, to enable the officers to legally enter any property they suspect of carrying out a criminal or illegal ac‐ tivity.
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THE Gutierrez family from Victors Bar Restaurant in Las Buganvillas held a special giveaway Christmas Hamper raffle. Unfortunately the winner, regular customer Libby Robert‐ son, was unable to collect it due to lockdown restrictions, so she kindly offered to donate it to be re‐raffled. Sue, wife of Victor and mother of Jake and Taylor, admitted to having eaten most of the chocolates and goodies by then. “So we restocked it as an Easter Hamper,” she explained. Victor, Sue, Jake and Taylor eventually raised a whopping €300 which they shared with the Red Cross (assisting people) as well as Coastal Cleaners (environment) and PAWS‐PATAS (animals). “We want to send a big Thank You from all at PAWS‐PATAS,” Chrissie Cremore said afterwards via the Euro Weekly News. Chrissie, who is on the PAWS‐PATAS committee and is also the association’s acting vice‐president, announced that the do‐ nation would go towards their TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return) cat colony campaign in Las Buganvillas. “Every euro helps!” she declared. “And it’s great to hear that Victor, Sue, Jake and Taylor are having such fun with Alpha, the dog they family recently adopted from us,” Chrissie added. She also told the Euro Weekly News that the PAWS‐PATAS outlet in Turre is currently closed due to extensive renovations. “It reopens on Tuesday June 1, and will be bigger, brighter and bolder with the addition of an Information Centre covering all areas of the PAWS‐PATAS Animal Charity, plus the TNR cat colony campaign,” she said. Email dogs@paws‐patas.org or cats@paws‐patas.org for further information about PAWS‐PATAS and visit the www.paws‐patas.org website for details regarding volunteer‐ ing or donating.
ISMAEL LAGUNA, the mayor of Caracuel de Calatrava, a small town of 122 inhabi‐ tants, in the province of Ciu‐ dad Real, Castile‐La Mancha, posted an advert on social media on April 16, looking for a young family with chil‐ dren to run the only bar in the municipality, calling the bar, “in perfect condition for use and exploitation.” The monthly rent on the bar is €5, but, if required, for an extra €150 month, the family can have the use of a four‐roomed house, with a garage, terrace, and a corral, and to qualify, a family must have at least two children of school age, and have a back‐ ground in the hospitality sec‐ tor, and must produce a ref‐ erence from a previous employer. Laguna attributes the large number of applications re‐ ceived to the economic crisis created by the pandemic, saying, “Many unemployed hospitality professionals have contacted us or who have had to close their busi‐ ness and also many people who have nothing. The pan‐ demic has done a lot of dam‐ age.” It was the pandemic that caused the bar to close origi‐ nally, “It coincided with the end of the rental contract and we did not renew it out of fear, because here 70 per‐ cent of the population is old‐ er,” said Laguna. He continued, “Many tell us that they want to change their life, stop being urban‐ ites and come to live in a small, quiet and well‐con‐ nected town because we are 15 kilometres from Ciudad Real and Puertollano.” The job application is open, and the mayor has of‐ fered it until the end of April, and it can still be applied for by emailing ‐ re pueblacaracuel@gmail.com as reported by lasprovin‐ cias.es.
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EXCLUSIVE
Plans for cheaper tests THE EWN’s campaign to urge the UK government to lower the costs of PCR tests so Brits in Spain can see their loved ones again has seen success after a Minister confirmed plans for cheaper tests. After writing to the Department for Transport, the EWN’s CEO Michel Euesden has since received a reply from the UK’s Minister for Aviation, Robert Courts MP announcing plans for the government to help lower test costs. Writing to Michel Euesden, the minister said: “I am sorry to hear the cost of PCR tests has caused concern for your readers.” He added: “The Government recognises… that the cost of these tests can be high. “We will work with the travel industry and private testing providers ahead of international travel reopening to see how we can further reduce the cost of travel for the British public while ensuring travel is as safe as possible. “This could include cheaper tests when holidaymakers return home, as well as whether the government would be able to provide
Michel and Steven Euesden.
pre-departure tests.” Responding to Michel’s concerns that the price of PCR tests can reach £214 (€245), Mr Courts added information to help travellers find the cheapest tests. He said: “Individuals are encouraged to conduct their own re-
search about available providers, the tests they supply and their terms and conditions of sale. More information at: gov.uk The minister thanked Michel for her letter, saying: “I hope the information provided will be useful both for you and your readers.”
Spain providing vaccines to Latin America PEDRO SÁNCHEZ, the president of the government, has an‐ nounced Spain will provide Covid‐19 vaccines to Latin America as soon as conditions of the health emergency make it possible. Sánchez’s idea is that it will show the country’s “commitment” and “solidarity” to the Ibero‐American community and that it is necessary to share vaccinations with those countries most in need. The president plans to coordinate with the European Union to ensure vaccines arrive as soon as possible.
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Spain Child Protection Law 1,200 new Jobs in Toledo ON Thursday, April 15, the Congress of Deputies in Spain’s lower house of parliament approved a pioneering new child protection law aimed at protecting children and adolescents against violence. The legislation was voted through with an absolute majority of 268 votes to 57 16 abstained. The decision was not expected in the current political climate. British concert pianist, James Rhodes, pioneered the new legislation, known as Rhodes Law, in the defence of children’s rights. Rhodes, a Madrid resident, suffered sex-
AMAZON is strengthening its presence in Spain with the opening of a new logistics cen‐ ter in Illescas, Toledo, Madrid. The project is expected to cre‐ ate around 1,200 permanent jobs over three years, accord‐ ing to a statement from the e‐ commerce giant.
NEW LAW: In the defence of children’s rights. ual abuse when he was a boy and has been one of the most public faces pushing for a law to combat violence suffered by youngsters and adolescents. The child protection law must now be passed in the
Senate, where more amendments are likely to be presented. More than 40,000 offences against children were recorded in 2019, and children and adolescents make up nearly half of all sexual abuse victims in Spain.
UK ‘No Longer in a Pandemic’ THE UK is no longer in a pandemic after the vaccine rollout has cut infections by 90 per cent, accord‐ ing to an expert. The expert said the UK is no longer in a pandemic. According to the Sun newspa‐ per, Sarah Walker, a professor of medical statistics and epidemiolo‐ gy at Oxford, said Britain had
“moved from a pandemic to an endemic situation.” She added: “Without vaccines, I don’t think getting close to zero is really feasible in the situation now in the UK where we’re effectively endemic, we’ve moved from a pandemic to an endemic situa‐ tion.” Professor Walker said falling in‐
fections were due to lockdown and vaccines. She said: “Long‐term lockdown isn’t a viable solution so vaccines are clearly going to be the only way that we are going to have a chance to control this,” she said. Data from a study of the impact of the vaccine shows it reduces in‐ fection and helps cut transmission.
With more than 180,000 square metres, the centre will be located in the municipality of Illescas, supporting Ama‐ zon’s extensive network of Spanish and European opera‐ tions, and also support com‐ mercial partners, consisting of mostly small and medium‐
Mass Events Unlimited SPAIN’S central government said it is NOT willing to enforce a limit on mass events when the State of Alarm ends on May 9. Carolina Darias, the Minister of Health, guaran‐ tees that a draft Public Health Commission docu‐ ment on the banning of mass gatherings depend‐ ing on the incidence rate in the province will only be a guide for regional governments so that measures can be standardised throughout the country, but “in no case will we try to force the re‐ gions to follow these recommendations.” “To recommend is not to prohibit. This type of event is the responsibility of the regions,” the min‐ ister said. The Public Health Commission proposal, which is still being debated, will establish four levels ac‐ cording to the cumulative incidence rate of the province.
sized Spanish companies. The company has confirmed that this logistics centre, which will be used by Amazon to store and manage smaller products such as smartphones, toys, and books, will create 1,200 new permanent jobs within three years.
Broken Measures A SPANISH consumer association survey that took place in the last week of March has revealed that there are some Covid measures that are complied with more than others. However, there are two in par‐ ticular that people said they regularly don’t follow. The Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) found that half of those who took the survey never, or almost never, maintain a social distance of two metres during a meeting, and only a quarter always follow the rule. Another Covid measure designed to pre‐ vent the spread of the virus that is most of‐ ten ignored relates to meetings in private homes with people that you don’t live with. In most of the regions, a maximum number of six people are allowed to meet, but the OCU report reveals that half of the respon‐ dents admitted to breaking the rule and 7 per cent said they did not respect it.
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UK Pensions are Low THE UK’s pensions have been ranked showing that UK pen‐ sioners see some of the highest levels of poverty in the world, sparking debate from expats about whether the UK state pension is enough to live on in Spain. Following the news that the UK has some of the highest lev‐ els of pensioner poverty, ex‐ pats in Spain have been debat‐ ing whether a state pension is enough to live on. According to the Express newspaper, the UK govern‐ ment produced a briefing pa‐ per showing how prevalent ‘pensioner poverty’ is across the EU and Organisation for Economic Co‐Operation and Development (OECD) coun‐ tries. Roderick McInnes, the re‐ port’s writer, said: “The OECD uses a common set of statistical conventions to measure in‐ comes consistently across countries to determine the pro‐ portion of the pensioner popu‐ lation in each country living in relative income poverty (de‐ fined as having incomes less
SPANISH LIFE: Can expats on a pension still afford to live here? than 50 per cent of the medi‐ an). “The proportion of people aged 66 and over living in rela‐ tive income poverty varies widely. In the UK it was 14.9 per cent in 2018, the 13th high‐ est out of the 33 OECD coun‐ tries for which data is available for 2016‐2018.” The data showed that UK pensioner property rates were 12.9 per cent for those aged 66 to 75, with those aged over 76 seeing poverty rates rise to 17.8 per cent. The news has sparked de‐ bate among British expats about whether the average UK state pension of £137.60 (€157.81) a week is enough to live on in Spain.
One reader said: “I think the pension amount is definitely not enough to live on when you take into account bills, rent and other expenses.” However, other expats said they were pleased with the amount they receive. One said: “I paid in for so lit‐ tle time that mine just about pays the phone bill. I am grate‐ ful for it all the same, but that is why I still work.” Another said: “I receive around £900 (€1,032.16) a month. “As a pensioner I am more than happy with the latest in‐ crease and the fact that after contributing for more than 40 years I can still receive my UK pension in Spain.”
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
EWN speaks exclusively to Motocross World Champion WHEN you are just 20 years old and already a three-time world champion in your sport, having to take a year off is a nightmare. This is what has happened to Spanish motocross rider Jorge Prado who has been unable to compete in any races since the lockdown. Considered by many as the motocross equivalent to Lewis Hamilton, having started riding at the age of three, Jorge was very modest when speaking exclusively to Euro Weekly News about the comparison, saying “I can see why people say that, but I only hope that I can be as successful as Lewis over a long period of time.” Motocross is a form of offroad motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom as early as 1909, but its competitive home is now Belgium. Jorge was born in Galicia and was so impressed by his father’s love for motor cycles
that he just wanted to learn to ride himself and his wish was granted when he was presented with his own miniature bike at the age of three and since then he has found incredible success in his sport. As he grew, so did his bikes and eventually the family moved to Belgium to be close to the main practice tracks and the top competitors and teams. Since that time, Jorge has done pretty well with an incredible record of growth and success: European and World Champion at 65cc in 2011 at the age of 10 years and eight months. European Champion at 125 cc, in 2015 at the age of 14, being the youngest champion ever in the category. In 2018, he became MX2 motocross world champion at the age of 17 and repeated that achievement the following year aged 18.
Jorge Prado taking the lead on bike 61.
Whilst he liked Belgium, he found it a little difficult to adjust to living in a colder climate with a less relaxed style when
compared to Spain, but he was quickly signed up by the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team with whom he is contracted
until 2023, even though he was their youngest ever rider. From Belgium, his family moved to Rome with its more Latin way of life, but when asked whether he drives in Italy’s busy city, he smiled and shook his head, explaining that was too ambitious even for him. The last year has seen Jorge in training, getting fitter and mastering his riding techniques ready for the first race of 2021, which he hopes will be in June and which should then take him off around the world. With regards to whether he enjoyed so much travel he said “It is very intense with no time to go sightseeing and with the pandemic, I know it’s going to be even tougher with the need to obey all of the rules of hygiene and distancing.” When we spoke, he was enjoying a one week stay in Galicia at his grandparents’ house so that he could get to see them and other relatives as well as sponsors since motocross is so popular in the region that every race is broad-
cast live on regional TV. Many footballers have their favourite shirt number and Jorge is no different as at an early age he was given 61 in a race that he won and so from then on, he has kept what he considers to be his lucky number. Summing up has life to date, the very humble young world champion said “Motocross is my life, it’s what I love, I’ve been doing this for many years and I couldn’t do any other sport.” It’s a daring, high speed adventure and this young man who speaks Spanish, English and Dutch will be doing his best to stay at the top of this exciting sport for years to come. Watch behind the scenes of Jorge Prado’s rollercoaster 2020 season in MX World: The KTM Diaries S3E4 on Red Bull Motorsport YouTube. The full docuseries starring Prado’s teammates Tony Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings and more, is available to watch in full on Red Bull TV.
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Butterfly Children’s Charity THE National Health Service has denied home nursing care to six-year-old twins with Butterfly Skin (Epidermolysis bullosa). The Butterfly Children’s Charity petitioned the minister for health to request the right to home visits from nursing staff for the six-year-old twins with Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) or Butterfly Skin, in Madrid. EB is a rare, degenerative and currently incurable disease that affects 500 people in Spain. Having been denied this request DEBRA raised their voices once again to reach out to the authorities to appeal for the care that is key to improving the quality of life for both the twins and their family. “Carla and Noa are subjected to between three and four hours a day of wound care treatment” to protect the wounds and blisters which are caused by even the lightest touch. “Their skin is missing the protein it needs to protect it,” explained Evanina Morcillo SINCE Britain left the EU, a whole barrage of bureaucratic nightmares have been thrown at UK expats in Spain, between applying for residency for those currently living here and visa ap‐ plications for Brits looking to make the move. The latest de‐ bacle which is really quite wor‐ rying for expats is the fact that, following one extension al‐ ready, expats with a driving li‐
Twins, Carla and Noa.
Makow, director of the charity. In addition to these daily treatments the twins are frequently in and out of hospital as they suffer from open wounds that cover 90 per cent of the surface of their skin. The wounds also affect the internal linings and organs leading to se-
Wheels Off cence from the UK won’t be al‐ lowed to drive here in Spain af‐ ter June unless they can ex‐ change it for a Spanish licence. Simple enough right? Afraid not. Panicked expats have been phoning embassies, consulting
lawyers and pleading with the DGT in order to speed the com‐ plicated process up, often with‐ out any success. The issue is this: All UK licence holders who are resident in Spain must change to a Spanish licence, but they al‐
vere disability and constant pain. The local health authorities are insisting that the parents are able to care for the twins at home and that the local health care workers will only treat them according to the plan outlined for them from birth. This decision has caused significant distress for both parents, Pedro Ricote and Verónica Soriano because, as they said, the local health care workers have only examined the girls without bandaging three times in six years. “We have been acting as nurses and carers for our children more than as parents for the last six years and we desperately need the help and support of professional health care workers in the home to help us cope with the traumatic daily treatments required by the girls.”
so must have registered their in‐ tent to swap over with the DGT before December 31 last year. The DGT won’t exchange the licences until Spanish residency has been approved, which is taking an inordinate amount of time due to a huge backlog. And the trouble doesn’t end there. Unless some sort of agree‐ ment is reached between the Spanish and UK governments,
anyone who failed to register their intent in December, or isn’t able to conduct the exchange before the end of June, will have to sit a Spanish driving test. One last fly in the ointment: there is currently a waiting list of up to eight months in many re‐ gions for a driving test, meaning countless expats could be with‐ out wheels in the coming months.
NEWS
Reading comes back LIKE every other non‐essen‐ tial retailer in Spain, book‐ stores were hit hard during the coronavirus, being forced to shut up shop and left at the mercy of online sellers. However, as Interna‐ tional Book Day 2021 was celebrated around the globe on Friday, April 23, Spanish bibliophiles had a reason to rejoice, as national sellers saw an increase of €9 million in their turnover compared with the same day last year. In a turn up for the books (so sorry!), sales have not only increased this year around the world, but they are actually higher than in the years leading up to the pandemic. As reported by Spanish press, during the first three months of 2019, the global amount of book sales totalled €85 million; this dropped to €78 million during the coronavirus pan‐ demic, but for the same peri‐ od in 2021, €87 million worth of books have been sold.
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NEWS
Low Birth rate data
ECONOMIC insecurity, fear of contagion in hospitals and the closure of fertility clinics are some of the factors that have caused a fall in birth rates during the pandemic in many countries. However, with falls of up to 21 per cent over the previous year, according to a study released on Wednesday April 21, Spain has seen the biggest drop. D emographer T omas Sobotka, from the Austrian
Academy of Sciences, said: “This negative trend is more common in southern European countries, as they are less developed states in terms of social support and with labour markets in a worse situation.” The report has collected birth data from 15 European Union countries since the pandemic began, as well as collecting data from S witzerland, N orway, U kraine, R ussia, the U S ,
Staff Reduction FOLLOWING its merger with Bankia, Caixabank is planning to cut 8,291 jobs in the biggest ever staff reduction in Spanish banking, and the third-largest in Spain’s corporate history. On Tuesday April 20, management informed union leaders about its plans to cut employee numbers by 18.7 per cent to 36,109, down from 44,000. Not only this, over 1,500 branches representing 27 per cent of the total will be closed. The same day María Jesús Montero, Spain’s finance minister and government spokesperson said the number of job cuts would be higher. She also called the plans “bad news” at a time when the government is making “Herculean efforts” to preserve jobs through ERTE schemes and avoid the level of unemployment figures that were seen during the 2008 crisis.
South Korea and Taiwan, to prove that there has been a clear decrease in births during the pandemic.
Bay City Rollers LES MCKEOWN, singer of the Bay City Rollers, has died aged 65 as friends and fans pay tribute. According to the Mail Online, the news was announced by the singer’s family after he died at home on Thursday April 22. Formed in the 1960s, the Bay City Rollers shot to success in the UK and internationally with songs including Bye Bye Baby and Shang-a-Lang and selling more than 100 million records. The singer was born in Scotland in 1955 and joined the Bay City Rollers in 1973 before leaving in 1978. He later went on to a solo career, releasing several albums. After forming in 1966, the Bay City Rollers became one of the UK’s biggest-selling groups in the 1970s.
Social Security J O S É L U I S E S C R I V Á , the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, in his press conference on Thursday April 22, presented the new portal of T he
General Treasury of Social S ecurity (TGSS) https://revista.seg-social.es which is accessible from any device. When you click into the
site, using the domain - Import @ ss - the site opens easily and quickly, but, at the moment, maybe it will change, the site is only in S panish, so, if you don’t speak, or read Spanish, we suggest using G oogle Chrome, paste the URL in, the site opens in Spanish, and you can install the G oogle translator which will translate the whole website into English for you straight away. In the public area, there are four main categories, namely: working life and reports; registrations, cancellations, and modifications; consultation of payments and debts, and modifications, which means you can enter and check anything to do with your working life, your social security number, register an employee, or obtain the document which says your payments are up-to-date, and you have no debts with Social Security.
NEWS
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EWN 13
First Holy Communion Mass Car SORN in Spain ONE of the major religious and social events for any Spanish Catholic child and their family is the taking of the first Holy Communion. It’s an important event which traditionally takes place just after Easter and is a source of important income for a whole range of businesses of all types throughout Spain. Tradition calls for the boys and girls to be treated as if they are publicly accepting God now that they have reached the age of reason at between eight and nine years of age, having learned their catechism and made their first confession. Girls generally wear white dresses to symbolise that they are now Brides of Christ and many boys are dressed in pris‐ tine sailor suits (up to the imag‐ inary rank of Admiral) to show that they will now navigate life to the secure port of Jesus. All of this comes at a consid‐ erable cost although some en‐ terprising charity shops, alert to the problems that many fami‐
TRADITIONAL: Girls generally wear white dresses. lies have experienced due to the pandemic are appealing for donations of dresses to then sell on to this year’s band of communion takers. Normally, the communion sees large numbers of friends and family flocking to the local church, which might have as many as 10 children in one of up to three sessions receiving communion and then it’s time to party with everyone invited to lunch at a nearby restaurant. Those invited either chip in with a cash amount or a gift for the child who is the centre of attention for the day. Last year, communions
were postponed to much later in the year although in 2021, they are beginning to take place although in a much more restrained manner recognising numbers allowed and social distancing. Those selling the uniforms will probably see their income restored but with fewer able to attend, toy shops and restaurants are going to see their share of the communion money reduced, although hopefully not as badly as in 2020 and some parents will be holding back with the celebra‐ tions to see what is allowed af‐ ter May 9.
EWN previously reported on how millions of vehicle owners could face fines for not having insurance. It has now been announced that thousands of cars in Spain that have not been insured for over 10 years or have not passed their ITV, so-called zombie cars, will be suddenly cancelled by the DGT. The Official State Gazette (BOE) published last week a Royal Decree on end-of-life vehicles that includes, among other new features, the establishment of one year from the date of application for the temporary deregistration of a vehicle. After this time period, if an extension hasn’t been requested, the car will be in active status again which will mean the corresponding administrative and fiscal obligations, such as the payment of the circulation tax, are to be addressed. The extension may be requested at the Traffic Headquarters and has to be requested no later than two months before the end
date of the temporary deregistration. Many vehicles were temporarily deregistered so that illegal scrapyards could export them or cut them up with a lower tax burden. Another of the rules included in this Royal Decree is
the obligation to pass an ITV inspection on cars that have been declared a total loss by the insurance company, whether the owner intends to continue with it or for it to be transferred to another owner.
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NEWS
Are you one of the vociferous minority insulted by the word expatriate? THE world is full of armchair experts who delight in trying to correct others and the latest target for them is use of the word expatriate for someone who lives in another country. Like many other words in English, it has Latin roots, uniting Ex (out of) and Patria (native country or fatherland). There is little doubt that when one writes about a British expat or expatriate in Spain then the vast majority of English-speaking readers will immediately and correctly recognise who is being referred to and let’s face it, language is all about ease of understanding. The naysayers, argue that the word is demeaning and racist because it was originally applied to white Europeans and their families who were often sent abroad to work in the Colonies for a defined length of time. They go on to insist that those who are not white are disparagingly referred to as migrants or immi-
Which word ticks your box?
grants when they in fact have as much right to be called expats as anyone else living abroad. It has to be admitted that there is certainly an element of truth in that
protestation if it is intentionally used to disparage or insult another person, but many people understand who is being referred to when such words are used.
There is no doubt that the use and meaning of words change over time and perfect examples are both ‘sick’ meaning good and ‘gay’ referring to a sexual preference and it is
now absolutely unacceptable to use the ‘N’ word in any circumstance. When one refers to British expats, there is no way that it is race or gender specific as it purely refers to someone who was born in Britain and has moved to another country, in this case Spain, therefore to suggest that it is insulting is plainly nonsense, unless a specific person is identified. All newspapers try to make any article as easily understandable as possible and therefore this writer for one will continue not to raid the dictionary for words that nobody understands and will use expatriate when it fits better than ‘UK passport holder now residing in Spain who may or may not eventually return to the fatherland.’ Naturally, if a reader is able to provide a word as an alternative which the majority of English speakers would immediately recognise as referring to British in Spain, then is something that the EWN writers would be happy to review seriously.
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NEWS
Concerns over PCR cost
EASYJET: Carried out a recent poll. THE figures from a poll carried out by easyJet found that Brits would pay up to €57 for a PCR test, sparking hopes the news could push the govern‐ ment to cap costs and help ex‐ pats see their loved ones again. The research also found that the average Brit believes the cost of a PCR test should be reduced to £30 (€34), while 58 per cent of Britons are more likely to take a holiday abroad to low‐risk green countries this summer if the government introduced cheaper lateral flow tests. New research has found 61 per cent of Brits believe under the traffic light travel system,
the green tier should mean re‐ striction‐free travel this sum‐ mer. Which? found the current cost for return travel to Spain could cost up to £330 per per‐ son. Concerns about the price of
PCR tests were voiced by Euro Weekly News readers signing our Cap the Costs petition in www.euroweeklynews.com urging the government to lower the price of tests so that expats can see their loved ones again.
McCann’s £750,000 Fund M A D E L E I N E M C C A N N ’ S parents have more than £750,000 - €862,473 in a fund to pay for a private search if the police hunt ever ends and the investigation stops. The latest accounts for Madeleine’s Fund Leaving No Stone Unturned Ltd - show a balance of £773,629 - €889,646 for the year ending March 31, 2020. According to the publicly available documents, the money will be used to “secure the safe return to her family” of Madeleine McCann and to ensure her “abduction is thoroughly investigated” and her alleged abductors “are identified and brought to justice.” Once that objective has been fulfilled any remaining money will be donated to help crack similar cases. According to reports, 90 per cent of children who go missing in the UK are found within 48 hours, and the vast majority return home unharmed.
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TESTIMONIALS
Testimonials are the fuel that keeps us going! WE are living in uncertain times but if one thing is sure, we all need people who we can count on to help us get through it. Our clients know that competition is tougher than ever, but they also know that we’ve got their backs and they can count on us to go the extra mile to make them stand out from the rest and get the results that they need. Euro Weekly News gets our advertisers where they want to go, but don’t take our word for it, read what they have to say about us. po‐ The Euro Weekly is a fantastic way to make of nt amou huge the tential customers aware of com‐ le peop many ble, availa products we have ment that our advert was the reason they arranged a no obligation site visit, and when people visit the showroom in Antas they always pick up the latest copy! or Damian Benbow Sales & Project Co‐ordinat 063 196 Lifestyle Enclosures: +34 950 459 060 • +34 638 ail.com c@gm yle.en lifest • com ures. nclos www.lifestyle‐e ria Alme . 8 Calle El Garcel 11 Pol Ind El Real, Antas 0462
I would like to say a big thank you to the Euro Weekly team and especially my rep Mich elle for five years of great flexible profession al ser‐ vice and long may it continue. Mozzie Paul 711 006 718 • +44 7444 737 796 • pleslie@h otmail.co.uk
a We have been advertising with Euro Weekly for a have We us. for s work it use long time beca looks s alway she elle, Mich with p onshi relati great of any new after us and keeps in contact via phone and email in. sted intere be may offers or feature pieces we Keep up the good work Emma • Premier 966 190 643 • info@premiermovespain.com
Hi EWN. I have know n Mich elle for man y years now. She has always helped me and pointed me in the right direction as an ex RETAILER and Ex Area Manager I know abou t service and know that Michelle has always had my back. i would recommend her and have to all my acquaintances. She and EWN are an asset to my business. Pete ‐ AA Free English TV Call Stuart 634 373 797 or Pete 606 297 825
or Whatsapp
We advertise in the Euro Weekly because it’s the most popular free newspaper in our opinion. Michelle looks after us with 100 per cent dedica‐ tion and professionalism at all times. Ben Cook | Sales Consultant The Property Shop Mob +34 628 045 614 • Tel +34 966 718 836 Avda. de las Naciones N°8, Ciudad Quesada 03170 Rojales (Alicante) Spain • www.propshopspain.com
Loyalty means everything In these times we are living, with everything changing from one day to the next we all need constants in our lives, and team EWN, from the CEO to the writers, from sales to production, have stood tall through thick and thin, despite everything that Covid‐19 brought upon us. Our clients know and appreciate this, they are aware that we were there for them through lockdown, while we were all facing huge changes and upheaval, to ensure that we could all make it out at the other end. Their praise and their loyalty means the world to us and the fact that they speak so well of us and decide to put their trust in us, even at times when many people are understandably afraid to invest, is what keeps us going and keep us fighting to be the best. To have clients praise your products, your team, your service and your results is high praise indeed. No less than the best We all need to offer the best service in these times, as competition is tougher than ever and we can’t do anything less than our best to be the ones who get the results. At a time when people are afraid to invest in themselves or in their products because they can’t be sure of what will work and can’t afford to take risks, our clients’ testimonials are all the proof they need to make the choice and choose the best in the business. Our team, our amazing EWN family, ensures that everything runs smoothly and our clients’ testimonials are proof of this, they are the fuel that keeps our fire alight and the reason we strive to always be the best. Relatable experiences Testimonials are proof of just how trustworthy our company is and al‐ though we can tell you over and over how good we are, we understand that potential clients are more likely to be swayed by the positive opin‐ ions of our existing clients than what we tell them. It’s a lot easier for potential clients to relate to the experiences they read in the testimonials than with company directors. Sometimes they can explain even better than us just how we can help you with what you need and how our services can be beneficial to your business. Deciding to invest Testimonials are proof of our credibility as one of the leading compa‐ nies on the Spanish costas and our expertise in what we can do for com‐ panies who are now facing one of the most difficult times ever. We un‐ derstand that at this time, people are more cautious about where they invest their money and need extra confidence in the company they de‐ cide to trust with their advertising needs. They will choose the company with the best track record and will look for those who can show the results of their accomplishments. That’s us. Did you know that according to certain studies, 92 per cent of people read testimonials before making a decision to invest their money and that almost 90 per cent trust them as much as a personal recommenda‐ tion? So our clients’ testimonials and their satisfaction are of utmost im‐ portance to us and always have been. Just see for yourself what our clients have to say about us.
Our advertising campaign with the Euro Weekly has always been both easy and effective. The team are always on hand our to assist if required and go the extra mile to make tial. poten its meet aign camp Vic Underwood Ecocorp Solar 671 716 597 ‐ 950 096 166 ‐ www.ecocorp.solar Since arriving in Spain in 2005 I have adve rtised in the Euro Weekly News. They have help ed me flourish and grow my business througho ut the years which has been a massive help. They offer guidance and help when needed and have been there throughout this Pandemic with good deals and edito rial about my Com‐ pany throughout this time. I am very grateful for all their support. It has been a very difficult coup le of years for all businesses, especially with Brexit and Covi d. Wendy Codd Res Framire Local 6, C/Alcornoque, 2960 4, Marbella, Málaga (0034) 952 830 843 or 951 080 118 Mob : 635 592 610/676 098 464 • Info@euinsuranced irect.com
kly for We have advertised with the Euro Wee mely extre is r pape news The . now over 10 years is al‐ Coy elle Mich t agen my and d ibute distr well an up write rt, adve ways at the end of the phone to edit our . need may any comp a as we ing editorial or assist with anyth not could We . costs g rtisin adve llent exce Great service and team enough and praise both Michelle and the Euro Weekly er 10 years. anoth for them will continue to advertise WITH Pamela Bradley Breakers Bradleybreakerscatral1@outlook.com 607 848 332 ‐ Cars • 632 320 195 ‐ Parts Facebook: Bradley Breakers
The Eur o We ekl y Ne ws hav e ass iste d The British Removal Company for many years now promoting our removal and storage services. Advertising within this popula r and respected publication has certainly helped The Brit ish Removal Company to be‐ come a leading removal bus iness within the Costa del Sol. It definitely has worked for us and we would highly rec ‐ ommend other businesses to advertise with them. Zaina Sierra The British Removal Compan y: Polígono Industrial Fase 1‐30B ‐ Paseo de La His panidad Torre 4 ‐ Buzón 23, Alhaurin de La Torre Málaga 29130 • Tel: 952 426 463
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FEATURE
Scoliosis Awareness Month June 2021 C H EC K Your Back - Check Your Child’s Back. I am often contacted by parents of children who have recently been diagnosed with scoliosis. What many of them have in common is that before hearing this diagnosis they have never heard of the condition or its symptoms. Scoliosis is an S-shaped double curvature of the spine affecting three to four children in every 1,000. My mother had never heard of scoliosis before the fateful day of my diagnosis. I often wonder how life might be different if my symptoms had been noticed earlier. If caught early, it is sometimes possible to correct scoliosis with the
use of a back brace and proper exercises. When my scoliosis was discovered at age 15, the condition was already too severe for me to be able to consider this option. My ribs had buckled and twisted giving me a large rib hump. At 20, I had surgery to prevent my spine from crushing my heart and lungs. S ince then, I have had two further surgeries to help straighten my spine and correct the placement of my ribs. Advised by doctors and surgeons to train regularly and strengthen my muscles, I became passionate about exercise. Following this path has truly helped immeasurably with my re-
covery. With proper care and treatment, and with the support of my family and friends, I feel lucky to have been able to lead a full and normal life, raise my wonderful children, and pursue a personal training career, supporting others with scoliosis. To check yourself or your child for scoliosis, bend over to touch the toes and observe the symmetry of the spine. Signs of scoliosis as advised by the NHS include: • A visibly curved spine • Leaning to one side • Uneven shoulders • One shoulder or hip sticking out
If you think you or your child may be displaying signs of scoliosis, visit your GP who can refer you for further diagnosis. Scoliosis Awareness day is 26th June 2021 The Scoliosis Association UK
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EUROPEAN PRESS
EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK
FRANCE
Keeping Green
Not guilty
THE latest report from the World Economic Forum (WEF), says that Denmark remains one of the top countries in the world when it comes to embracing renewable resources. According to the WEF, Denmark comes third after Sweden and Norway out of a list of 115 countries.
IN an interview with Le Figaro, President Macron said that he believed that the law should be changed after a man who killed his neighbour by throwing her out of a window was found not guilty of murder as he was high on drugs.
NETHERLANDS Cash rich
NORWAY Naval disaster Norway’s accident investigations commission has ruled that due to poor training, the crew of the frigate KNM Helge Ingstad contributed to its sinking as they did not close doors and hatches when they abandoned ship after colliding with a tanker in 2018.
CRIMINALS in Holland are finding that the pandemic has made money laundering activities more difficult as regular ‘fronts’ such as bars, restaurants and hairdressers were unable to open according to a report from the public prosecution department and around €100 million in cash was seized in 2020.
FINLAND
BELGIUM
Battery power
Wolf cubs A FEMALE wolf named Noella, is expecting a new litter of cubs according to the Agency for Nature and Woodland having taken photographs of her in Limburg Province. The photos will not be released for some time in case the area is recognised and attracts hunters.
GERMANY Offering refuge LIKE other governments, Germany is getting ready to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan but unlike some others, it believes that it has an obligation to offer refuge or protection to those who have helped the military according to the German Defence Minister.
AN undisclosed investment by UK group Johnson Matthey and the Finnish Minerals Group will see the construction of a new plant in Vaasa which will see Finland becoming an important player in the supply of batteries for electric vehicles in the future.
SWEDEN Woman Ambassador AS the Saudi Arabian government appears to become slightly more progressive and tolerant, it has appointed Einas Al-Shahwan as the Kingdom’s ambassadordesignate to Sweden during a virtual meeting with King Salman. She will be the Saudi’s third female Ambassador to be appointed over the years.
FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Telefónica THE re-elected Chairman of the Board of Telefónica José María Alvarez-Pallete told shareholders as he unveiled the company’s new logo that he believed that the share price would rise once the market saw the financial impact of the merger of 02 and Virgin in the UK.
An apology AMERICAN bankers JPMorgan which advises both Real Madrid and Manchester Football clubs have issued a formal apology saying “We misjudged the reception of the Super League among the football community.” The shortlived Super League caused nothing but trouble for all involved.
Retail sales up NEW figures released by the UK Office for National Statistics indicate that March retail sales were much better than forecast by many analysts, growing by 5.4 per cent thanks to the gradual easing of Covid-19 restrictions with more opportunities for people to visit retail outlets.
Company restructure ALTHOUGH some online betting companies in the UK have done well during the pandemic, Spain’s Codere SA has not been so lucky. The gaming group which has betting shops and casinos in Spain, Italy and South America has been heavily hit by the Covid-19 pandemic meaning that its physical operations have been closed for much of the last year. With significant debts and bonds that need to be honoured, it is coming to an arrangement to convert much of its debt into shares in a new company which will be 95 per cent owned by the bond holders.
STAT OF WEEK
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€919 billion
is the record amount of money that Spaniards have deposited in banks and savings institutions since the start of the pandemic according to America’s Moody’s.
Turning the other cheek INITIALLY launched in Asia by an American based com‐ pany, green toilet paper made out of bamboo could soon arrive in Spain and the rest of Europe. According to producers of Bambooloo, bamboo is the fastest growing material in the world and is packed with great benefits for peo‐ ple and the planet. It’s 100 per cent hypoal‐ lergenic, 100 per cent chem‐ ical free, highly absorbent
(25 per cent more ab‐ sorbent than wood pulp) and septic safe. Not only is it better for us, it is also better on the planet. Bamboo grows around a metre a day and reaches maturity in around five years, while trees take 20 to 50 years to reach ma‐ turity. Bamboo can grow in soil where other plants can’t and thus highly arable land can be saved for other crops
LEGALLY SPEAKING
and what’s more the type of bamboo they use is too hard for pandas to eat! In order to make 220 sheets of bamboo toilet pa‐ per, it takes 2.6 gallons of water and 132g of carbon, whilst it takes 37 gallons of water and 440g of carbon to make the same amount of toilet paper out of wood pulp. Parent company The Nur‐ turing Co has attracted a sig‐ nificant investment from
the Razer Green Fund and Razer which is a well‐known and respected company supplying tech equipment to gamers (with outlets in El Corte Ingles, FNAC and oth‐ ers in Spain) is investing part of its profits into supporting sustainable business. So confident are they in the concept of bamboo toi‐ let paper that they will be using Bambooloo in the toi‐ lets of all their offices around the world.
Covered wherever you are
They break parking rules We live in a community that has painted single, no‐parking lines on our street. Despite this, and the fact it is contained in our community rules, some owners and renters choose to ignore these signs. There are at times as many as eight vehicles parked up, causing problems of entry and blind spots which could result in a accident. What can be done legally to enforce the law and the com‐ munity rules? All owners have a dedicated parking space in the garage area.
Sparkling news AFTER the initial boycott of Catalan produced cava because of the push for independence, things have recovered and Raventós Codorníu. The cava and wine group owned by US fund Carlyle has launched its new e-commerce platform, 15bodegas.com to try to expand worldwide market share.
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L I (Costa del Sol)
It seems that your street is part of YOU AND THE LAW your community IN SPAIN and not a public way so you cannot just call a policeman to issue a parking ticket. Nor is it feasible for the community to charge fines to the owners who break the rule. The only possibility that I can suggest is to place a physical barrier such as a chain where the white line is now. The chain could be removed when necessary. You will have to be sure that community regulations do not prohibit this.
DAVID SEARL
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
SANTANDER BANK, BBVA and Caixa have become founding members of the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), which has been convened by the United Na‐ tions Environment Pro‐ gramme Finance Initiative. The group plans to help mobilise the financial sup‐ port necessary to build a
Your funeral can take place wherever you wish. MANY people are concerned about what could happen if they die when they are away from their country of resi‐ dence. Having a Golden Leaves Plan means that this is some‐ thing that neither you nor your family will have to wor‐ ry about. When you choose your fu‐ neral plan, you can arrange for dual coverage in Spain and the UK at no extra charge, so your funeral can take place in your country of origin if you wish. Everything will be ar‐
ranged for you, whether you want to be buried or cremat‐ ed in Spain or if you want your body to be returned to your home soil. Plus, if you have a global portability plan, even if you pass away while you are away from your country of residence your plan covers you wherever you are, even if you don’t want to be repa‐ triated. The value of the plan can be used either to pay all or part of the cost of a funeral service in the country where you pass away.
www.goldenleavesinternational.com enquiries@goldenleaves.com Facebook: goldenleavesspain
Net Zero Banking Alliance global zero emissions econ‐ omy and deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement, and provide a forum for strate‐ gic coordination among fi‐ nancial institutions to ac‐ celerate the transition to a net zero economy.
NZBA brings together 43 of the world’s leading banks (although this may increase) and members are committed to phasing out all operational and at‐ tributable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their
lending and investment portfolios. At the end of 2020, San‐ tander CIB was the world leader in renewable financ‐ ing, according to Dealogic. In 2020, the bank helped fi‐ nance greenfield renewable
Record borrowings THE UK Government’s bor‐ rowing has hit its highest level since the Second World War as the total by the end of March reached £303.1 billion (€333 billion) according to the ONU. The Office for National Statistics added that bor‐ rowing in March alone rose t o £ 2 8 b i l l i o n ( € 3 0 . 8 b i l‐ lion) and compared to the same time last year, bor‐ rowings over income for the Government were up by £250 billion (€275 bil‐ lion). There is no doubt that the pandemic is to blame for this huge increase in borrowing, but as Britain comes out of lockdown, the road to economic re‐ covery is going to be rocky to say the least.
The Hut Group THE highly successful Hut Group has announced that it will take over food manufacturer Brighter Foods from Real Good Food, paying £43 million (€47 million). The market for this type of nutritional bar is growing con‐ siderably which might explain why Hut are paying a 12‐x mul‐ tiple of turnover for the Welsh company that produces the Wild Trail range of vegan op‐ tions as well. In a tweet, Hut said that it ex‐ pects to create more than 100 new jobs in Wales and to con‐ tinue to support British manu‐ facturing wherever possible. Completion of the sale is ex‐ pected by the end of May. energy projects with enough installed capacity to power 10.3 million households, and prevent 60 million tons of CO2 emis‐ sions. The bank also announced the appointment of Anto‐ nio Simoes as CEO of San‐ tander Spain who joined a year ago from HSBC.
28 EWN
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29 April - 5 May 2021
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C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 26
COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.236,50 1.240,50 Admiral Group 3.195,0 3.198,0 Anglo American 3.132,0 3.148,0 Antofagasta 1.827,50 1.837,50 Ashtead Group 4.782,0 4.783,0 Associated British Foods 2.294,0 2.316,0 AstraZeneca 7.564,0 7.702,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 574,60 576,40 Avast 481,70 481,70 Aveva 3.930,0 3.945,0 Aviva 399,00 401,40 B&M European Value Retail SA558,40 564,20 BAE Systems 496,30 499,50 Bank VTB DRC 1,320 1,320 Barclays 181,98 182,44 Barratt Developments 782,40 786,00 Berkeley 4.579,0 4.588,0 BHP Group 2.212,50 2.219,50 BP 292,10 293,45 British American Tobacco 2.734,0 2.737,5 British Land Company 510,00 512,60 BT Group 155,05 155,65 Bunzl 2.454,0 2.457,0 Burberry Group 2.078,0 2.083,0 Carnival 1.654,4 1.657,0 Centrica 55,26 56,28 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.534,0 2.543,0 Compass 1.567,50 1.584,50 CRH 3.430,0 3.441,0 Croda Intl 6.930,0 6.932,0 DCC 6.352,0 6.422,0 Diageo 3.296,0 3.312,0 DS Smith 423,20 423,20 EasyJet 986,40 1.005,50 Experian 2.767,0 2.787,0 Ferguson 9.282,0 9.318,0 Flutter Entertainment 15.295,0 15.330,0 Fresnillo 893,40 919,60 GlaxoSmithKline 1.342,60 1.349,80 Glencore 296,25 297,95 Halma 2.628,0 2.634,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.677,00 1.684,50 Hikma Pharma 2.392,00 2.444,00 HSBC 419,00 419,00 IAG 196,74 199,50 Imperial Brands 1.486,50 1.490,00 Informa 550,00 551,40 InterContinental 5.182,0 5.204,0 Intermediate Capital 2.046,00 2.049,00 Intertek 6.198,0 6.266,0 ITV 117,60 118,50
% CHG. 1.225,50 3.163,0 3.073,0 1.803,50 4.682,0 2.289,0 7.548,0 565,80 473,10 3.903,0 395,50 553,80 489,00 1,230 178,36 773,80 4.530,0 2.183,50 289,80 2.705,5 503,80 153,10 2.436,0 2.050,0 1.602,0 54,78 2.511,0 1.555,00 3.373,0 6.838,0 6.320,0 3.254,0 410,10 972,20 2.747,0 9.212,0 14.860,0 886,80 1.335,60 290,30 2.606,0 1.657,00 2.381,00 412,40 193,24 1.472,50 537,20 5.080,0 2.016,00 6.112,0 115,65
NET VOL 708,09K 584,87K 1,78M 735,35K 640,20K 440,72K 1,68M 1,99M 2,39M 151,70K 7,05M 1,60M 7,24M 3,92M 51,56M 1,14M 209,60K 2,61M 32,44M 2,03M 1,62M 20,91M 616,02K 457,62K 1,14M 11,96M 220,39K 1,50M 887,13K 237,76K 91,31K 2,62M 1,65M 2,25M 1,12M 322,96K 370,52K 1,24M 4,90M 30,47M 397,51K 670,60K 384,87K 15,51M 25,71M 1,06M 3,43M 310,55K 310,35K 243,61K 5,90M
COMPANY
PRICE(P)
J Sainsbury Johnson Matthey Land Securities Legal & General Lloyds Banking London Stock Exchange Meggitt Melrose Industries Mondi National Grid NatWest Group Next Norilskiy Nikel ADR Ocado Persimmon Phoenix Prudential Reckitt Benckiser Relx Rentokil Rightmove Rio Tinto PLC Rolls-Royce Holdings Rosneft DRC Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell B RSA Insurance Sage Samsung Electronics DRC Sberbank Schroders Scottish Mortgage Segro Severn Trent Smith & Nephew Smiths Group Spirax-Sarco Engineering SSE St. James’s Place Standard Chartered Standard Life Aberdeen Taylor Wimpey Tesco Tui Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Group PLC Whitbread WPP
242,20 3.294,0 711,60 272,50 42,63 7.726,0 467,50 163,45 1.991,50 903,50 194,95 8.012,0 34,32 2.236,00 3.178,0 722,40 1.510,00 6.654,0 1.940,00 511,40 619,00 6.119,0 101,76 7,11 1.356,51 1.356,2 1.294,6 682,60 645,00 1.866,50 15,55 3.539,0 1.251,00 996,00 2.438,0 1.492,00 1.647,00 12.265,0 1.493,50 1.320,50 479,80 272,30 187,35 222,55 389,10 4.113,5 959,00 133,58 3.403,0 967,80
CHANGE(P)
% CHG.
NET VOL
248,70 3.309,0 714,40 272,50 42,67 7.726,0 470,00 164,10 1.995,00 918,00 195,10 8.012,0 34,47 2.246,00 3.178,0 727,00 1.510,00 6.802,0 1.941,00 511,80 619,40 6.130,0 102,40 7,19 1.362,50 1.362,4 1.304,4 682,80 648,40 1.867,50 15,67 3.562,0 1.256,00 1.013,00 2.453,0 1.492,50 1.647,50 12.320,0 1.517,50 1.326,00 480,50 274,70 187,65 226,45 391,80 4.133,0 967,20 134,34 3.432,0 967,80
241,70 3.250,0 703,60 268,40 41,76 7.636,0 456,40 160,45 1.965,00 899,50 191,05 7.798,0 34,09 2.207,00 3.125,0 718,20 1.477,50 6.612,0 1.901,00 499,50 611,60 5.977,0 99,33 7,08 1.347,20 1.347,4 1.288,8 682,20 638,80 1.850,00 15,44 3.499,0 1.229,00 993,80 2.416,0 1.466,00 1.615,00 12.215,0 1.486,50 1.303,50 471,60 271,00 184,45 222,25 385,20 4.072,0 950,40 132,52 3.353,0 946,20
5,62M 354,45K 752,02K 7,74M 117,34M 491,66K 1,81M 6,97M 449,43K 4,59M 8,79M 585,61K 1,10M 685,37K 372,00K 1,79M 4,16M 835,26K 1,50M 2,90M 1,05M 1,89M 33,01M 997,00K 2,48M 2,48M 3,18M 2,13M 2,13M 11,00K 4,44M 147,70K 2,04M 2,46M 343,84K 3,86M 546,67K 64,23K 1,86M 588,19K 2,93M 2,77M 6,02M 38,21M 2,71M 2,38M 1,27M 42,97M 579,49K 2,31M
1.14768
0.87137
Units per €
US dollar (USD) ......................................1.21051 Japan yen (JPY)......................................130.505 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.1050 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4360 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.026
currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 26
COMPANY 3M Alphabet C Amazon.com Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Facebook Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce.com Tesla UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walmart Walt Disney
PRICE 202,20 2.315,30 3.340,88 257,03 134,32 238,38 230,11 101,55 51,91 54,47 301,13 339,35 323,89 224,50 142,43 59,24 165,52 150,19 234,58 77,88 261,15 130,19 133,94 233,51 729,40 400,31 57,30 230,00 139,90 183,02
CHANGE 203,16 2.325,82 3.375,00 258,14 135,12 238,58 231,65 102,17 52,13 54,59 302,59 340,67 325,53 226,95 143,61 60,00 166,06 151,13 235,24 78,20 261,51 130,65 135,08 235,49 737,36 401,99 57,47 231,82 140,34 183,90
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 200,99 1,86M 2.278,21 1,44M 3.308,50 3,20M 253,67 2,43M 132,16 78,76M 233,11 11,55M 227,88 3,46M 100,72 6,76M 51,18 14,02M 54,17 9,02M 297,15 17,56M 330,72 2,17M 319,58 3,41M 222,22 5,31M 140,95 4,56M 57,90 77,52M 164,00 6,03M 146,69 14,04M 233,10 2,14M 77,46 8,21M 257,27 21,50M 128,46 7,49M 133,25 6,71M 231,75 5,45M 715,46 28,41M 394,50 2,26M 56,78 18,10M 227,71 5,35M 139,03 7,66M 181,96 6,08M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 26
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
Most Advanced Booking Holdings Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C SVB Financial Group First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A MercadoLibre Inc. Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A Amazon.com Inc. Trade Desk Inc. Cl A ASML Holding N.V. CoStar Group Inc.
+2.06% +2.10% +2.09% +8.72% +4.95% +2.40% +2.28% +0.96% +3.75% +3.68% +2.27%
253,725 1.46M 1.44M 996,602 62,194 309,216 655 3.20M 445,677 1.13M 167,317
-1.22% -5.08% -3.22% -2.54% -8.56% -5.80% -1.80% -5.66% -8.43% -5.32% -1.45%
8,891 3.50M 574,853 8,747 114,623 1.23M 1,646 1.35M 523,247 77.52M 166,758
Most Declined Atrion Corp. Quidel Corp. Mirati Therapeutics Inc. Winmark Corp. Strattec Security Corp. Applovin Corp. Cl A Sabre Corp. 6.5% Pfd. BJ's Restaurants Inc. Atea Pharmaceuticals Inc. Intel Corp. Helen of Troy Ltd.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com
Micro numbers of micro chips
WORLDWIDE SHORTAGE: So much technology relies on microchips. A COMBINATION of the pan‐ demic, Brexit (for the UK) and a major fire in Japan have led to a massive worldwide short‐ age of microchips. It may get better in the long term, but in the short term the problem is getting worse which may result in the cost of computers and mobile phones shooting up. This has been made worse by the increase in home work‐ ers, many of whom have up‐ graded their laptops and PCs so demand has risen faster than production. 5G needs fuel an increase in demand for new mobile phones and there has also been a steady increase in the sale of video games during lockdown What’s more with so many car manufacturers relying on microchips to control the ever more advanced brains of their vehicles, the problem is slow‐
ing down production consider‐ ably. Indeed Tata, the Indian owners of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), now Britain’s largest car manufacturer have recently announced that because of the shortage of microchips that it will have to suspend produc‐ tion at two of its three UK fac‐ tories. This slow down would not only affect the company’s rev‐ enue, but could see some form of financial loss for its nearly 6,000 workers if they are forced to work part time. It’s not just the UK that is suffering as the majority of au‐ to manufacturers in Europe and the USA have reported similar problems especially as the demand for new vehicles is beginning to increase. According to the BBC, Vaux‐ hall has decided that due to the problem it will install ‘old style’ analogue rather than
3,800 job losses BBVA SA, Spain’s second-largest bank, with around 23,000 employees, announced on April 22, the proposed dismissal of 3,798 employees across the country, which is around 16 per cent of their total workforce, and involves the closure of 530 branches. The management claims the action is a necessary result of the advancement of the digital era, with interest rates dropping, and new companies moving into the digital realm, with customers taking advantage of those new portals, hence making it necessary for the company to reduce its cost structure.
digital speedometers into its new cars.
BUSINESS EXTRA Banker’s salaries “WE have been saying that we find the high salaries and bonuses unacceptable,” Nadia Calvino, Spain’s Minister of the Economy told journalists outside the Cortes Building in Madrid, about recompense of senior bankers. She added that she would be taking the matter up with the Bank of Spain.
Generation Z THOSE now aged between 15 and 24 are known as Generation Z and research by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) suggests that Spanish workers in that age bracket have suffered most with 38 per cent unemployed since the start of the pandemic.
Bitcoin jitters THE announcement by President Biden that he is considering increasing the tax on capital gains and the decision by the USA and Spain amongst others to require holdings of cryptocurrency to be declared has seen a fall in Bitcoin value from €52,500 to just over €40,000.
29 April - 5 May 2021
EWN 29
30 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 April - 5 May 2021
The defence was rubbish
LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT I WAS actually more than a little disturbed about the speed that police officer Derek Chauvin’s conviction was obtained. Despite a record‐breaking backlog of cases waiting to be heard, this man was arrested, brought before the court and convicted less than a year after the offence was committed. The jury was out for only nine hours before reaching their verdict ‐ guilty on all three counts. In a case as complex and controversial as this, having it all conveniently wrapped up so quickly, absolutely reeks of political interference and mob appeasement. Almost before the ink was dry, a noticeably relieved Biden appeared before the public pontificating about ‘stamping out racism’, ‘new beginnings’ and almost unbelievably proclaiming he had ‘prayed for the right result’ ‐ which actually was a bit rich coming from someone who once attended the memorial of a leading member of the Klu Klux Klan! Anyway it all worked (I could hear the sighs of Democratic leftie relief
COURT CASE: Was a trial by media.
from here!), the rioting and mayhem which could have been sparked never ignited and, apart from the accused, the only other people who were unhappy with the verdict were the looters, who will now have to look elsewhere for a reason to plunder and pillage. I personally believe the defence was rubbish. They presented extremely
scant footage of the events prior to the actual arrest, where this thug was shown to be violently resisting. They conveniently overlooked one police video camera, which briefly caught Floyd shouting he ‘couldn’t breathe,’ when he was standing by the car with no one anywhere near his neck and to insist that no Jury member had any prior knowledge of this extremely high
profile case before they sat in judgement, is as naïve and intelligence insulting as believing the authorities had no influence in the proceedings. No, this was a trial by media and left wing manipulation who have now blatantly martyred a vicious criminal thug for their own political gain. Chauvin’s appeal could be very interesting indeed.
FEATURE
About a year ago I wrote a piece decrying Nicola Sturgeon’s plans to hold another Scottish independence referendum. One observation of mine was that should it be successful she would need to erect a border akin to Hadrian’s Wall. This week I read that a ‘think tank’ committee had recently formed the same conclusion. Presumably these people had been engaged and no doubt paid handsomely for their efforts. Strange to think that if they were readers of this publication they could have been informed of this conclusion months ago ‐ and a great deal cheaper! For the sake of sanity and good sense let us hope our friends north of the border see through Ms Sturgeon’s biased and mealy mouthed tirades and send her and her SNP party back into their Jurassic bolt holes where they belong, leaving us all to enjoy and prosper from the magnificent and exciting future that awaits our precious and wholly unique UNITED Kingdom. I’ve just heard ITV announce a Stephen Lawrence day. Any chance of a Lee Rigby day? Just asking! Keep the faith Love Leapy. leapylee2003@gmail.com expatradioscotland. Mon. Wed. Frid. 1pm till 4.
Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
Advertising Feature VOSS HOMES
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euros
VILLA JASMINE: The garden is gravelled for low maintenance and there is parking for several cars as well as a garage and carport. shed with electricity. This is a very cleverly designed villa and consists of a front conservatory which looks over the pool and garden and makes a lovely room to relax or dine in. Next is the entrance hall leading
down the centre of the villa. To the right is a good sized living room and dining room with H&C air con and ceiling fan plus bay windows looking over the garden. Across the hall is a separate fitted kitchen with plenty of storage
and work tops plus a separate utility room and door leading out to the garden and pool area. Further down the hallway are three large double bedrooms. The large master bedroom has H&C air con and ceiling fan and a walk in
wardrobe / dressing room which is currently used as an office plus ensuite shower room. The second bedroom has H&C air con and ceiling fan. The third bedroom has a ceiling fan. There is a spacious family bathroom.
For more information and to arrange a viewing of VH1843 Villa Jasmine or to meet at our Huercal-Overa or La Alfoquia office please contact Voss Homes on 0034 950 616 827 or email us at enquiries@vosshomesspain.com.
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
Let real entertainment return MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man I WATCHED the funeral of Prince Philip, not all of it, but I really don’t understand why on earth they let the Queen sit on her own? Forget she’s the Queen; all I saw was an old Granny burying her husband of 70 odd years. It could have been anyone’s granny and it’s wrong. Masked up, all vaccinated, it’s just a total nonsense. They should have moved it from Windsor to the nearest Ikea or Primark because the UK’s stupid rules allow you to walk round stores with very little space between you. You can sit outside and have a drink but not inside. WHY? Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. But I’ve seen on the news punters going into Ikea, Primark etc and it’s mobbed. No-one is paying much attention to ‘social distancing’; they’re just going about their business like normal people do. So why make an old lady not have her kids sitting next her? It’s crazy and it’s wicked. I love movies and the odd awards ceremonies that go with them. But this year’s
Oscar nominations have got some seriously depressing stuff as subjects with films like Nomadland, The Father and Pieces of a Woman, to name three. I’ve watched them all and a few others including Sound of Metal which is about a drummer in a band that goes deaf and that’s the most cheerful one! Along with all the woke rubbish that’s included with the awards is everyone treading on eggshells. Maybe it’s time to knock them on the head or, and I really mean this, go back to the old style of real entertaining, non thought provoking films that make you laugh. Or Rocky types that make you feel good or Godfathers that make you feel like you’ve sat through a proper film. Not the depressing stuff being churned out now and the awards ceremony where the host can take the piss out of everyone and say he or she and not worry about them getting outraged. Let actors act and give the awards to the best of the bunch regardless of race, religion or sexual persuasion because, as I see it now, they have completely lost the plot. Let the best man win or woman or any of the other 20 or 30 genders I’ve missed. Email: mikesenker@gmail.com
Mike’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
29 April - 5 May 2021
EWN 31
THURSDAY 29/04 FRIDAY 30/04 SATURDAY 01/05 SUNDAY 02/05 MONDAY 03/05 TUESDAY 04/05 WEDNESDAY 05/05
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Money for Nothing The Repair Shop Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News Party Election Broadcast The One Show EastEnders Dragons' Den This Is My House BBC News at Ten
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Live Snooker: The World Championship Richard Osman's House of Games Great British Railway Journeys MOTDx Live Snooker: The World Championship Great British Menu Gardeners' World I'll Get This
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Richard Osman's House of Games Great British Railway Journeys The Hairy Bikers' Mediterranean Adventure All That Glitters: Britain's Next Jewellery Star Makeup: A Glamorous History Have I Got a Bit More News for You
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34 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 April - 5 May 2021
FEATURE
GO LOCAL
THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to support local businesses in the commu‐ nity by going local through the lockdown and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and su‐ perstores. During this lockdown, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky inde‐ pendent businesses in your area. Due to the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic, you may have to sup‐ port many local businesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate if you are un‐ able to get out due to health reasons or lockdown restric‐ tions. The joy of shopping local means that independent busi‐ nesses can help support the lo‐ cal community. Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or on‐ line, consider where your mon‐ ey is actually going. By shop‐ ping at an independent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than now to give back to your community by making a small gesture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support lo‐ cal charities, support and spon‐ sor local sports teams and in many cases the small indepen‐ dent stores are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous generations and support not just the cur‐ rent owner but the generation before. For those stores which are new, that extra couple of euros
spent there are supporting someone’s dream and ambi‐ tion, and also the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task. It takes quite a large chunk of money to set up an independent store and compete with the multina‐ tional and chains. So be sure to pre‐order your meat from a local butcher and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us revive that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again. You could also consider pur‐ chasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path. As people are struggling with finances thinking about what
friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift perhaps pre‐paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a bet‐ ter gift. Helping people alleviate stress and worry , give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times. Choosing to spend your money locally will really make a difference in the recovery of
the local economy. When we buy local, our money stays lo‐ cal, and it strengthens the local economy in two ways. First, buying local keeps money circu‐ lating within the local econo‐ my. Studies have shown that lo‐ cal businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create locally owned sup‐ ply chains and invest in their employees. Data shows that local retail‐
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SPENDING LOCALLY: Will make a difference to the local economy.
ers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain re‐ tailers. Money circulating through the local economy benefits ev‐ eryone who is a part of each transaction. For example, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce. First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn pre‐ pares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employ‐ ees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy sup‐ plies from a neighbourhood hardware store. This example illustrates how the recirculation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and com‐ munities. Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportu‐ nities for people within our community. Studies show, lo‐ cally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and retain more employees over time. A fantastic example of how to support your local communi‐
ty is with a Charity Gift certifi‐ cate, why not donate to your loved one’s favourite cause. Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.
29 April - 5 May 2021
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42 EWN
29 April - 5 May 2021
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HEALTH & BEAUTY
The baggage I carry Battle of the bulge MS BIPOLAR
UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED
I WILL always be a little bit strange. A second-guesser of even my most obvious traits and talents. I will often wonder when I will break… again. And settle for the ups and downs only a person like me can have. I search constantly for a sign - some signal to alert me I am finally free. I slide on by, hoping my stride won’t slip. You may see me in my glory, in my happiness and in my joy, but I will always refrain from committing fully to being happy. N o, it’s not fair that at times I doubt myself, and, at times, I start to think, “ I s this really me? Is this really me?” Built on a foundation of pills, held on by a balance not quite my own.
O ne giant hope this identity of mine really belongs to me. Is this really me? I crumble when your words twist into 10,000 meanings at once. My brain overloads, and I wonder which meaning you wished for me
to understand. The air in the space around my head caves in, and I lose sensibility. Please know if I end up not the person I say I am, I am the person I mean to be. I t’s a constant struggle between reality and sanity. One I do not wish to fight, but neither silence nor giving up is an option. Expectations of you understanding me, I do not have for you. For the baggage I carry is not for you. And it clings to my back tied up with chains. A nd I don’t even know where it’ll go when I’m through. And when I’m done with this obnoxious disease that refuses to be polite … when I can brave life without these pills … oh, if that day were to come. O h, if that day were to come. I wont be needing this baggage any more. L ove from a tired M s Bipolar X
msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com
U K government figures show that men in the UK are officially the fattest men in western Europe. Some 27 per cent of the British population is now obese, putting the UK as the sixth highest in a league table of the 34 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations. The average male Brit now tips the scales at 84kg. Only Americans and - perhaps surprisingly - Australians are heavier. In fact, obesity rates in the UK are up 92 per cent since the early 1990’s, according to the OECD, who also predict that 40 per cent of people in Britain will be obese by 2030. The figures also confirm that men in the U K are heavier than their Spanish counterparts, who actually weigh the DIET DAMAGE: least in western Europe at 74.8kg. In British men are Spain, which is famed for its healthy the most overweight in Mediterranean diet, only 17 per cent Western Europe. of the population are obese.
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 April - 5 May 2021
EWN 43
CRACKING DOWN ON PASSWORD COMPLACENCY name isn’t brilliant, but the most damaging form of password complacency is using the SAME password across multiple sites and ser‐ vices. Individuals have had their Instagram ac‐ counts hacked or Spotify memberships stolen as a result of this password repetition compla‐ cency. On the other hand, having multiple pass‐ words has its own problems. I mean, remem‐ bering which password goes with which on‐ line account / email address / secure website etc. And being locked out of various online ac‐ counts / email addresses / secure websites etc just because when you try to login to one of them, you punch in the wrong password. All because you think, of course, you re‐ member which password you need to use so you don’t need to hit that infamous ‘Can’t re‐ member your password?’ button. And almost every single time, you don’t remember...
NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson
LAST time I wrote about the problem of ‘phishing’. Well, the online passwords you use could put you at an even greater risk. Ac‐ cording to a recent survey, millions of Brits are using their pet’s name as their online password, despite it being an easy target for hackers. The National Cyber Security Centre said 15 per cent of the population used pets’ names like Maggie, Molly, Max or Milo or other very common names. (Oops! Is that one of your passwords?) Moreover, 14 per cent use a family member’s name, and 13 per cent pick a notable date (like birthdays) which can also often be gleaned from social media. And 6 per cent of people are still using ‘password’ as all ‐ or a part ‐ of their password. (Oops! That you again?) Other problematic passwords included a sports team the user supported (6 per cent), a string of numbers such as ‘123456’ (6 per
COMPUTER HACKERS: People aren’t protecting themselves in the simplest of ways. cent), or a favourite TV show (5 per cent) such as Strictly or Masterchef. (Oh, not you again!) But passwords are a pain, aren’t they? Ac‐ cording to a study by NordPass, the average
person has to remember 100. Help! But this new survey proves yet again that people aren’t protecting themselves in the simplest of ways. Using your pet or child’s
Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Sentinel’, ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Be‐ trayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora‐johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Ap‐ ple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.
Nora Johnson’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
PETS
44
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Planning for pet-sitters beyond the pandemic HAVE you enjoyed staying at home and hav‐ ing staycations this last year but are now finding it all too much of a good thing? Per‐ haps you are already making plans for a post pandemic get away. Even if you are planning just a short trip you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Puppies espe‐ cially usually need to stay behind so they can follow their routines at home. So, plan ahead. Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sitters, if you have trips planned later this year. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philosophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSit Match.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2021? Then get started right now. How does it work? HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House‐sitters see your advert, they
Is your pet so used to you being at home that you both need a break? respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ‐ HouseWitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐sitter while we were away in Canada and we were delighted with the care and attention that HouseSitMatch took in help‐
ing us find the right person. Ros Morris ‐ Dog owner How do you join? Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com ‐ Choose a membership plan ‐ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on sub‐ scription to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89 pa
Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20 per cent discount using coupon code P2020 - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.
Beauty of a Bengal cat THE Bengal cat has an exotic look about them. They are smaller than wild cats and fortunately, not as dangerous. The Bengal cat came about through the crossing of Asian leopard cats with do‐ mestic cats. They have spotted and marbled coats of many colours, large bones and short hair. They are also very intelligent and require a great deal of atten‐ tion, which may be due to their inquisitive nature and high energy. They are constantly on the move and love to climb to the highest of places. Bengal cats also love the great outdoors, where their ancestral genes kick in to action and then they become a predator, while en‐ joying other pursuits like a bit of bird watching. There is a sensitive and playful side to this cat and when they have gained trust in their owner, they can become the most affec‐ tionate of pets, never leaving your side. If they are left alone for a period of time, when the owner goes on holiday; there could be a few gifts dotted around the house, on returning. It’s their way of telling you they’re upset, but this applies to most cats. Cats do understand much more than we imagine, so it’s worth explaining things for them, as the meaning translates through your body language. Once you’re home, the Bengal cat settles down very quickly and as they are not as vocal as other cats, it’s easy to get plenty of sleep.
Sprains, strains and muscle tears in dogs DIRECT or indirect trauma can cause injury or strain of lig‐ aments, tendons or muscles. The most common causes are severe activities such as running, jumping or slipping. The dog stretches too far, too much, or too often. Sport dogs are more exposed to this type of injury. Also direct causes such as laceration from a deep cut or damage from a bone fracture can cause it. The most noticeable sign that a dog has a sprain or strain is limping. Sometimes if the tear is mild, the clinical signs may be difficult to de‐ tect. The vet will check your dog’s muscles and joints. He will see his gait, how he sits, and lies down. Then he will touch and press on certain points to see if they’re sore, warm, swollen, or out of place. Next step is to make X‐rays. Radio‐ graphs are of little value in the early phase. The use of ad‐ vanced imaging modalities to demonstrate lesions of the affected muscle and/or tendon can increase confidence in the diagnosis. Ultrasonography is a relatively inexpensive non‐invasive imaging modality, but is particularly depen‐ dent on the expertise of the operator. The use of MRI has greatly increased the ability to detect lesions that other‐ wise is not possible. Treatment depends on the type and the severity of the injury. In very mild cases with rest and NSAIDs, but in many cases physical therapy techniques and other surgery are required. Physiotherapy techniques simi‐ lar to those used in human medicine are currently used. For more information about physical therapy: Shock waves, scan the QR.
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The ST-Line - fun beats speed THE Fiesta has been a staple of Ford’s sales lists for decades not to mention the nation’s garages and driveways. As the decades and fashion has moved on so too has the Fiesta. The initial rather boxy design has mor‐ phed into a larger, sleeker mod‐ el that’s laden with tech that wasn’t even thought of when the Fiesta was first launched. The ST‐Line is designed to of‐ fer the more sporting looks of the ST without the hardcore driving experience. The Fiesta range is priced from £16,385 (€18,925) and the ST‐Line sits roughly mid‐table in the line‐up with the ST‐Line Edition (from £19,585 / €22,620) and the X Edition (from £21,830 / €25,213). Standard fare on both models includes such things as rear parking sensors, powered, heated, folding door mirrors, au‐ to lights and wipers, auto dim‐ ming mirrors, privacy glass, heated windscreen, navigation, cruise, air conditioning, keyless start, sports tuned suspension and ST‐Line body styling and grey alloys. Fords have always handled well and the ST‐Line is no excep‐
tion, yet the three engine op‐ tions, all 1.0‐litre EcoBoost units, which range from 95 to 155 PS, with two options of mild hybrid electric power, certainly don’t provide blistering performance. In top power mode the benchmark 62mph is reached in a whisker under nine seconds. However outright speed isn’t the point of the ST‐Line, it’s one of those cars that very ably demonstrates fun doesn’t have to equate to speed. My 125 PS mild hybrid model proved great fun when on cross country routes with a few nice bends for good measure. The steering is sharp, the peppy performance and engine note add to the fun and the car is a joy to drive. If you want outright performance then go for the ST and you’ll give much more premium sports models a fright. If you want a de‐ cent turn of speed matched to a sensible ride then the ST‐Line is hard to fault. The Fiesta has a smart and so‐ phisticated look but there are signs of where the pennies have been saved inside the car. The plastics look and feel a little too bargain basement in places, the
front door panels have cloth in‐ serts, but the rear ones are all plastic, and the carpets are rather poor. However, it’s a rela‐ tively small price to pay for a car that provides a compelling blend of urban, long distance and fun all rolled into one rather neat automotive package.
29 April - 5 May 2021
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SPORT SPAIN’S Rafa Nadal on Sunday April 25, won the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell tourna‐ ment, beating Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6‐4, 6‐7, and 7‐5, in the final. The tournament, known as the Trofeo Conde de Godo, is played at the oldest ten‐ nis club in Spain, the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona‐1899, which opened in 1953, and where Nada has won 12 titles without loss. Tsitsipas came into this final in Barcelona without dropping a single set along the way, and is the player who has really dominated the world of tennis so far in 2021. Nadal, from Manacor, on the Balearic is‐ land of Mallorca, took the opening set 6‐4, although it was not easy, with Tsitsipas pushing him hard, and then, that second set went to the Greek, with Nadal having been at 5‐4, with two match points on Tsitsipas’s serve, but his opponent did not give in, and pulled the set back to a tie break, ending in a 7‐6 score, and they headed into the deciding set. Incredibly, Tsitsipas served for the match at 5‐4, but Nadal held his nerve to tie at 5.5, and the final went into another tie break, with Nadal having four break points, before eventually, Tsitsipas put the ball out, leaving the Spaniard serving for the match, but the Greek came from 30‐0, to 30‐40, and then duece, with Nadal getting three match points, at which point Tsitsipas hit his return long, and it was game, set, and match Nadal, but what a thrilling final.
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Rafa Nadal Wins RAFA NADAL: What a thrilling final.
Walking Football ESQUINA PARK RANGERS are setting up a League which will cover Alicante, Almeria and possibly Murcia. Teams ready to take part as soon as they can resume playing include Esquina Park Rangers, Hondon, Pinoso, Olivia, Moraira, FC Los Amigos, Almanzora, Lubrin (Almeria) and Pulpi. A committee will be elected to standardise rules and draw up a fixture list. Inter League matches will be played between the Alicante North Walking Football League and the South of Spain Walking Football League. A sponsor is being sought and any interested parties should contact esquina parkrangers2018@yahoo.com. Similarly any walking football team interested in joining the league should contact the e‐mail address above.
Euro Matches FANTASTIC news for football fans in Andalucia as UEFA announced Euro 2021 matches in Sevilla. U E FA v i c e ‐ p r e s i d e n t , Z b i n i e w B o n i e k , h a s a n‐ nounced that the three Euro 2021 matches that were scheduled to be played in Bilbao’s San Mamés stadium can no longer take place in the city, and they have turned to an alternative venue in Andalucia, namely the beautiful Cartuja Stadium in Sevilla. La Cartuja will now host Spain’s three Group E matches against Sweden on June 14, Poland on June 19, and Slovakia on June 23, and an added bonus is the fantastic news that EUFA has also handed a round‐of‐16 match to Sevilla as well, after Dublin lost the matches that were going to be played there. Depending on the pandemic situation in June, the stadium could be allowed to operate at 30 per cent capacity, which is around 20,000 spectators. A UEFA statement read, “The four matches origi‐ nally planned in Bilbao will be moved to the La Car‐ tuja Stadium in Sevilla. The celebration of these matches has the support of the Autonomous Community of Andalucia, which has confirmed its intention to allow spectators to 30 per cent of the stadium’s capacity for the three Group E matches and one round‐of‐16 match.” Regarding the decision to scrap Bilbao, UEFA said, “After the decision of the local authorities, it be‐ came clear that it was highly unlikely that fans would be able to attend the matches that were scheduled to be played in Bilbao.”